Lasagna is one of those home cooked meals that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside isn’t it? It’s the perfect comfort food to warm you through on a cold winter’s night. Or the perfect accompaniment to a side salad for a tasty summer’s day lunch. Serve it however you like, with vegetables, with garlic bread or even eat it on its own. Lasagna is nothing if not versatile.
The only problem is, if you’re anything like me you never just cook one portion of Lasagna. You usually cook it in quite a large dish that fits multiple servings, don’t you? And although I personally would love to eat it all in one go, there’s usually so much Lasagna, that even with my best efforts I probably couldn’t manage it.
But there’s no way I’m wasting any of that cheesy, tomatoey, pasta-y goodness. Not a chance. I am going to make sure I reheat every single piece and that’s the end of it.
So, what is the best way to reheat Lasagna? The best way to reheat Lasagna is in the oven. Reheat lasagna in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
There are other ways of reheating Lasagna but reheating them in the oven is by far the best way.
So, no need to throw your leftovers away, just follow the steps below and your leftover Lasagna will be as delicious as it was the first-time round.
Best Way to Store Lasagna before Reheating
You should aim to store your Lasagna in the refrigerator within 2 hours of letting it cool down. This is because when food is left at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, bacteria starts to multiply at a speedy rate.
A good idea would be to separate your Lasagna into portions so that when it comes to reheating it, you can reheat one portion at a time. Once you have done this, put your portions of Lasagna into airtight containers and then put them in the refrigerator. Putting them in a tightly sealed container will prevent extra moisture from getting in, which means they will stay fresher for longer.
When stored in a refrigerator, a Lasagna will be edible for up to 5 days.
Best Way to Reheat Lasagna – Steps
As I’ve already mentioned, the best way to reheat Lasagna is in the oven. When you reheat your Lasagna in the oven, it is likely to come out much moister and more delicious than if you were to reheat it in any other way. Here’s how you should do it:
Step 1: Preheat your oven
Make sure your oven is preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Transfer to an oven safe dish
Take your Lasagna out of its airtight container and transfer over to an oven safe dish.
Step 3: Sprinkle a little bit of water on it
Run your hand under the cold tap and sprinkle some water over the top of your Lasagna, or if you would prefer to use a tablespoon you can drop about two tablespoons of water over the top. This helps your Lasagna to stay moist rather than drying out and becoming overly crunchy.
Step 4: Cover with foil
Cover the top of your oven proof dish with foil. This is another way to stop your Lasagna from going dry and getting crunchy as it seals in the moisture whilst cooking.
Step 5: Put it in the oven
Once you have covered your dish with foil you can put it into the middle of your preheated oven. Your Lasagna should take between 20 and 25 minutes to reheat. If you take it out after 20 to 25 minutes and it is not piping hot, then put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
Step 6: It’s ready – time to eat!
Once your lasagna is piping hot all the way through take it out of the oven and let it cool on the counter for a couple of minutes before serving.
Will Reheating Lasagna Affect its Taste?
Lasagna is one of those dishes that most people think tastes better the day after it was cooked. This is partially because the sauce has had time to firm up and the herbs and spices have had longer to marinate. Reheating your Lasagna using the steps above will not change this. However, if you choose to use a different method of reheating, you might get different results.
Other Ways to Reheat Lasagna
Whilst reheating your Lasagna in the oven is the best way to get good results, there are other successful ways of reheating Lasagna that you might want to consider.
Microwave it
If you are pressed for time, then using a microwave would be a good choice as it takes much less time than the oven. However, if you need to reheat more than one portion of Lasagna it may take some extra time as you will probably only have space to reheat one portion at a time.
All you need to do is put your Lasagna in a microwavable dish, drop a couple of tablespoons of water on top of it and pop it in the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. It is a good idea to check it halfway through just to make sure it isn’t burning round the edges. Once it is heated all the way through, let it cool for a couple of minutes before eating.
Use a skillet
This isn’t the most popular method for reheating Lasagna despite the results being almost as good as when it is reheated in the oven. It takes a little bit longer than the microwave, but it will be heated more evenly and therefore the results will be better.
All you need to do is put your portion of Lasagna in the skillet with ¼ cup of water. Once you see the liquid start to bubble you should cover the skillet with a lid. Leave the Lasagna cooking for 15 minutes. For the last 5 minutes you might want to remove the lid to let any excess liquids dry up.
Top Tip
Why not try adding some bacon or pancetta to your Lasagna for some extra flavor and richness. You won’t be sorry.